Day 10 Berlin

 28 miles to Berlin

Easy ride today with the wind still at my back.

Checkpoint Charlie - Boundary between east and west Berlin.  East Germany was controlled by the soviets, while west Germany was controlled by the Americans.

Brandenburg Gate - Construction started in 1788.  It is the entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of Linden trees that led to the royal palace.  The gate survived WWII but sustained damage.

Huge Right to Life demonstration at the gate today with the largest police presence 
I have ever seen. 

Reichstag Building - parliament building topped by a glass dome.  The tower in each of the four corners represent the four states of the German Empire:  Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Saxony.

Berlin Cathedral - Built at the start of the 20th century as a way to express the imperial power of Germany.

Victory Column (The Siegessaule) - was built toward the end of the 19th century in celebration of several Prussian military triumphs.  At the very top of the column is an angelic, winged figure that represents Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.

Holocaust Memorial.  These nondescript concrete blocks extend underground to a holocaust museum below this memorial.

Staying for one more full day in Berlin so I'll post more tomorrow.  Tonight my host, Simon, and I went out to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner, which was fantastic.